The Middle Kingdom Ride

[euphonius]

I know of only one -- the guy in Shanghai called Kuzi (Pants) with the 990 Adventure who I believe recently moved to Chengdu or somewhere else out west. Don't know status of his plates, importation, etc. I think he was going to be riding with Franki on his recent ride in Tibet, but I thought this was another Galaxy XTR250 shakedown, so don't think the KTM was part of that game plan.

It would be a good idea for someone to jab KTM in the ribs about the advances others are making here at their expense...

[bigdamo]

ChinaV,
I think that KTM have no presence in China, and I am not even sure that you could get a KTM licensed and registered here. Maybe if, in your letter or phone call to them, you explained how you want to pioneer the KTM brand in China and get Chinese riders excited about KTM bikes you might get some good responses from them. I've never seen a KTM in China. Are they street legal? Can you register them properly?

Most Chinese riders wouldn't know a KTM if it hit them.

Don't think China is on KTM's list of world dominance.

I think ChinaV was kidding about the KTM.

KTM knocked back Charlie and Ewan doubt they would care about a trip around China.Maybe we could all ask KTM for bikes for the Taklimakan Rally.

[bigdamo]

I know of only one -- the guy in Shanghai called Kuzi (Pants) with the 990 Adventure who I believe recently moved to Chengdu or somewhere else out west. Don't know status of his plates, importation, etc. I think he was going to be riding with Franki on his recent ride in Tibet, but I thought this was another Galaxy XTR250 shakedown, so don't think the KTM was part of that game plan.

It would be a good idea for someone to jab KTM in the ribs about the advances others are making here at their expense...

There are a couple of 640 adventures floating around and a 530exc that I know of.

[chinabiker]

I talked to KTM people in 2006 during a bike expo back home (theirs and mine ).

At that time, they showed no interest in the Chinese market for various reasons.

unclear situation, rules and regulations for import, homologation, registration
difficult to provide quality service
uncertain to choose location(s) to be served
the market is too small to pay for necessary expat man power

they were not willing to leave all the above to locals

Also, to support individuals or team travel, was out of question for them.

More or less I believe they were - and probably still are - right

P.S. I know that ChinaV was joking

[bigdamo]

I talked to KTM people in 2006 during a bike expo back home (theirs and mine ).

At that time, they showed no interest in the Chinese market for various reasons.

unclear situation, rules and regulations for import, homologation, registration
difficult to provide quality service
uncertain to choose location(s) to be served
the market is too small to pay for necessary expat man power

they were not willing to leave all the above to locals

Also, to support individuals or team travel, was out of question for them.

More or less I believe they were - and probably still are - right

P.S. I know that ChinaV was joking

The Chinese maintance schedule scares me.basically they don't have one.When it breaks then fix it.Change the oil regular."Really you have to do that"

Letting them loose on KTM's and Honda CRF450 with there short period of oil changes and high maintanance schedule is asking for trouble.

Yep Chinabiker and KTM are right.

[moilami]

*shrug* Why to ask for KTMs and stuff? It is not cool. If I would ask for a bike I would ask it from China, getting a sponsored China bike to do some touring would be cool Now I already have a bike so I don't have to ask, but when Skyteam updates their light enduro I will for sure ask for one. It doesn't cost anything.

[ryanjpyle]

Hello folks,
Just wanted to say I am in a very positive mood. Just had a 30 minute phone conversation with Charley Boorman, who offered a lot of great advice about making adventure motorcycle shows. What a great guy, and very generous with his time. Charley, of the Long Way Round / Long Way Down / Race to Dakar / By Any Means and By Any Means2, many thanks.

[euphonius]

*shrug* Why to ask for KTMs and stuff? It is not cool. If I would ask for a bike I would ask it from China, getting a sponsored China bike to do some touring would be cool Now I already have a bike so I don't have to ask, but when Skyteam updates their light enduro I will for sure ask for one. It doesn't cost anything.

Moilami, it's a good question you've raised, but the answer is complicated and unsatisfying. China surely makes more motorcycles than any other country, with several brands cranking out a million or more a year. But can you name one Chinese brand that is known beyond core riders like those of us in this forum? In other words, while almost anyone in the world knows you are talking about a motorcycle when you mention Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki or Yamaha, do you know anyone who would not draw a total blank when you said Sacin (maker of your Skyteam), Qinqi, Lifan, Xingyue, Jialing, Zongshen, Loncin, Xinyuan (aka Shineray), Chunfeng, etc. Some of those can't really even be pronounced with all the Q's and X's. The reason? Marketing, of course -- or rather a total lack of intelligent marketing, especially beyond China's shores. Some of these bikes end up being private labeled or OEM'd. But apart from those annual shows where you find hardcore advocates like CrazyCarl, these brands have no international resonance at all. Take Jialing, for example. They make 3 million bikes a year, but don't even know how to answer their phones.

JL: Wei? (Chinese for hello or, more accurately, yeah?)
You: Uh, is this Jialing Motorcycles?
JL: Who are you?
You: I am a customer.
JL: Who are you looking for?
You: Someone in sales.
JL: Don't know. (click)

The idea of Jialing offering free or discounted bikes to some riders who wanted to use them for a ride around China, with the aim of building their brand and creating some excitement, is so preposterous as to be absurd. Some other brands may be a bit farther ahead, but not by much. The day eventually will come, as it has at Haier and Tsingtao and some other Chinese brands, but a lot of things will have to change before then.

So it's the BMWs and KTMs of the world that you turn to. And they say yes because they understand how an MKRide can stir the imagination of would-be riders all over the world.

And of course it's one reason why their bikes are so much more expensive than Chinese bikes....

[ChinaV]

The idea of Jialing offering free or discounted bikes to some riders who wanted to use them for a ride around China, with the aim of building their brand and creating some excitement, is so preposterous as to be absurd. Some other brands may be a bit farther ahead, but not by much. The day eventually will come, as it has at Haier and Tsingtao and some other Chinese brands, but a lot of things will have to change before then.

You know Franki and crew got their bikes from Galaxy for free. I assume Galaxy thought they could learn a little from his experience and they would get some good exposure on the Chinese websites. The thought never crossed my mind that a non movie star could get a free bike, but in the last 6 months I have seen Franki & Jonathan get Galaxy's, Daniel (from my recent ride report) also has a KLR650 donated by Kawasaki, and now Ryan gets a pair of BMW's. Obviously, if you have the credentials, companies are willing to donate.

Yes, I was joking about getting a KTM, but as Ryan points out, show them the potential and it just might happen.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[moilami]

A very hilarious dialogue.

Euphonius, yeah, I understand stuff. That's why I said "it doesn't cost anything (to ask when sending an email). If it would cost a penny I would not bother because it would be a penny wasted no doubts.

I understand also the situation the protagonist have. TV companies want to show dreams, and I bet majority of the target group would be much more fascinated to see two guys driving a brand new BMW than weird and unknown Chinese brand. It is like me when I was a teenager to mid 20's and drooled more on motorcycling magazines than on porn magazines, dreaming of top of the line bikes and adventures with them. In my opinion motorcycling shares similar phenomenons as HIFI and photography. There are people who listen amplifiers instead of music and there are people who buy expensive photography gear and take photos which could be taken as well with 100€ point and shoot - I call them camera users. In very diverse motorcycling world there are drivers who drive a brand instead of a bike. By all means I am not saying that some do it right and some do it wrong. It would be stupid to say so. People do things in a way they can and enjoy of it in their own way. It is fine, nothing wrong in it. I only want at times point out new ways to enjoy and experience the hobby.

When I did read first time of the protagonist I thought oh my someone is doing it right, I wish I would know how he did it for the sake of curiosity. It would just not be my thing no matter how much I would enjoy driving around China with a brand new BMW, I would rather do it without cameras on me. Naturally I don't have to make that kind of choises since I don't have proper traits to be a TV star. I just want to say something what my friend said to me when I was puzzled should I try a China bike: "It doesn't have to be always the best". It was a very simple truth said and I was amused how I was so blind to not see it myself in the first place. That is the wisdom I want to share, and I did it here. During my touring Scandinavia with a China bike it crystallised in my mind clearly. It is just the same as what some photographers say when asked which camera to buy. They say buy the most cheap DSLR or some point&shoot and use the money saved to book a trip where you can actually enjoy doing some photography. My advice (for the adventurious) thusly is to forget the big and expensive bike brands and use the money saved to hit the road. You are not going to travel onto the moon, so any bike can do it.